


domino

by acciosapphic



Category: AESPA - Fandom
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Kariselle, Pining, Tutor AU, aespa, bestfriend au, ningselle, winning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:27:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28925817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acciosapphic/pseuds/acciosapphic
Summary: Ningning bit the insides of her cheek, eyes grazing Giselle’s face with so much admiration. She has never felt like this before. Sure, she had fallen in love with strangers during her morning commutes here and there, and adored some members of their school choir, but none of them feels as extreme as this one.
Relationships: Kim Minjeong | Winter/Ning Yizhuo | Ningning, Ning Yizhuo | Ningning/Uchinaga Eri | Giselle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	domino

_It’s just a harmless crush_ , Ningning convinces herself.

She felt her face heat up at the thought. From her periphery, she could see Giselle typing furiously on her laptop. Too focused—with furrowed brows, lower lip caught up in her teeth—and Ningning couldn’t help but stare. Get a bit distracted, but if you were in her shoes, _surely_ , you would be too.

Ningning coughs, looking at her notebook, now filled with hearts and cute doodles. A name scrawled all over in a neat handwriting, _Giselle, Giselle, Giselle_. She giggled silently, humming love songs under her breath as she adds another name.

_Ning <3 Giselle_

She stole a quick glance at the older girl, “Ning, focus,” Giselle murmurs, sipping her coffee. Not even bothering to tear her eyes away from the screen.

Ningning squeaks and averted her gaze. Point finger trailing the last line she had read but retention fails her when all she wanted to do at the moment is list Giselle’s expressions. Note the way she chews on her bottom lip every now and then, how she randomly whispers in English, sighing in heavy breaths— _Ningning stop_.

“You’re tired, aren’t you?” Giselle stretches her hand up in the air, pushing the swivel chair back. The older girl looks at Ningning, and for a moment, she’s scared that Giselle’s going to reprimand her for slacking. But Giselle didn’t. Instead, she flashed Ningning a bright smile. Eyes crinkling behind her subtle bangs, “Want to grab something to eat?”

Ningning pouts, summons all her will power to act nonchalant, “We have snacks here…”

“Yeah,” Giselle shrugs, “but you’ve been studying for hours, fresh air would help.” Giselle’s tight-lipped smile makes her cheeks double up in size. Ningning looks away, covering her face with a book. Her neck flushed crimson red.

“But I have to finish this,” Ningning whines.

Giselle laughs and offers her hand, “Well, then it’s a good thing I’m your tutor, right?”

Ningning grins cheekily, taking Giselle’s hand as she walks away from her bed. Her nose now blessed with the familiar smell of lavender, reminding her of the day Giselle stood quietly in their front door, all preppy and smiley.

She didn’t pay much attention to her at first.

But there was something charming about Giselle.

Something that kept her cheeks warm as she recalls their weekend lessons every night; lips smiling so wide she’s afraid it will be ripped in half. Her journal now bursts with a name that isn’t hers, mind completely enamored by the older girl’s character. She doesn’t know if it’s Giselle’s smile, or if it’s her eyes, or the simplicity in the way she lives by that makes her more… _breath-taking_.

“She’s so pretty,” she told Winter once during their movie night, “you know how she wears this really preppy clothes, and headbands—not to mention, she’s really smart.” Ningning took a bite of her sandwich, “like Spencer Hastings kind of smart. Really smart—”

Winter coughs, looking away from Ningning, “You… do you have a crush on her or something?”

Ningning’s eyes widen, and then she slapped Winter’s arm. Saying that she shouldn’t sputter nonsense like that, “Giselle unnie is just my tutor.”

The creeping blush on her nape says otherwise though.

Winter didn’t look convinced, but she just shrugged, focused back on the horror movie.

Oh boy, Ningning was so wrong. 

Because she’s _definitely_ crushing on Giselle.

Ningning bit the insides of her cheek, eyes grazing Giselle’s face with so much admiration. She has never felt like this before. Sure, she had fallen in love with strangers during her morning commutes here and there, and adored some members of their school choir, but none of them feels as extreme as this one.

“Ning,” Giselle calls out.

Ningning jolted on her seat, snapped out from her daydreaming, “Oh?”

“Eat slowly,” Giselle feigns disappointment, snatching a tissue from the table to wipe Ningning’s cheek.

It was so sudden that Ningning’s mind went absolutely blank, thoughts all over, the only thing that’s keeping her from passing out is the tickle on her stomach. Feeling the soft rush of adrenaline ran through her veins with Giselle’s touch. It was dizzying. Giselle’s lavender perfume didn’t help either.

“Uhm,” Ningning coughs, clearly disoriented, “thank you, Unnie.”

“You’re welcome,” Giselle’s eye smile made another appearance. She taps Ningning’s cheek before sitting back again on her seat, “now, finish your food.”

Ningning tries to suppress the giddy smile, but it was futile, because she still finds herself smiling even after finishing her food. Grinning like an idiot during their walk back home. Cheek muscle twitching as her heart soared in unadulterated happiness.

Ah, young love.

She looks at Giselle sneakily, tiptoed on her way at the pavement. She makes a quiet promise; _I’m going to make her proud._

And so she did.

Ningning starts hanging out in the library more often, scouring through a pile of papers. Her nose buried deep in a book. Winter would be there, looking at her questioningly before taking a nap somewhere hidden. She began staying late after classes too, handing a list of questions for her teacher, not giving up unless she finally understands how a formula is derived.

There are instances where she would be reading a novel during lunch to practice her English, Winter watches intently while munching on her sandwich.

It all became her routine, sleep late and wake up early. Too much caffeine when she doesn’t even like coffee.

This sudden pull to do better at school was exhausting, but Ningning isn’t one to complain—not when Giselle’s satisfied face radiates with so much joy after browsing her papers, and certainly not when she would look up to Ningning with proud eyes before slightly patting her cheek like she usually does, murmuring _I’m proud of you_ in a small voice, beaming with pride.

It’s like Ningning’s driving force became seeing her unnie happy. Her motivation sky rocketing as she thinks about Giselle, how rewarding it would feel to be once again enveloped inside her arms.

“Do you like her?” Winter asks out of nowhere when they went out for ice cream.

Ningning stops on her track, and Winter looks back at her with eyebrow raised, “You do, don’t you? You like Giselle?”

Ningning bit her lip. The cold ice cream melting on her fingers isn’t enough to calm her down, “I guess…” She scratches her nape, “yeah.”

Winter nods, “She’s in college though.”

“And?”

Winter shrugs, “Nothing,” she then walks away, not even bothering to wait for Ningning.

Ningning pouts, confused, cheered herself up because she would be seeing Giselle that day.

But she didn’t.

What greeted her was a bunch of reading materials and a note that says:

_Hwaiting, Ning! Unnie’s a bit occupied this week so we won’t see each other much. Try answering these, and I’ll check them when I come back. With sandwich, of course_ _J_

Ningning sighs, she guessed she’ll be a little unmotivated today.

* * *

Ningning busied herself with school requirements the whole week, hanging out at the library alone (Winter’s ignoring her at the moment and she has no inkling idea why) to write some notes. When she’s not reading, she’s at the theater room, practicing for their annual school play.

She’s a little nervous because she got the main role, afraid of how she’s going to squeezed it into her time. But she’s also excited, and can’t wait to tell her unnie about it.

 _For sure, she’ll be proud_ , Ningning mentally taps her back for a job well done, grinning widely.

When Giselle arrived that night, Ningning almost fall over the stairs, mouth gaping. It’s like she’s seeing a different person—well, she still looks the same, but something definitely shifted. Her make up a far cry from what she usually wears, and Giselle looks good.

 _So beautiful_ _and_ _elegant_ , Ningning looks at the ceiling, knuckles white from gripping the hand rails too hard.

“Sorry about this,” Giselle says, motioning her look, smiling shyly, “I have to go somewhere later and I don’t want to be late.”

An apology for looking _so_ good certainly isn’t necessary.

“You dyed your hair,” Ningning pointed out, _it’s darker now, no longer blonde_ , “it’s pretty.”

“Really?” Giselle tilts her head to the side, “someone dyed it for me.”

“Someone very skilled then.”

Giselle beams, there’s something different about it, like she’s actually, _genuinely_ , happy.

And it made Ningning happy too.

“She is,” Giselle hums, “she really is.”

It feels like a loaded compliment but Ningning was too absorbed by Giselle’s presence. Too caught up in pent up feelings that she harbored within the week. So she steals glances towards Giselle’s way whenever she gets the chance.

The older girl’s too focused looking at her phone though, cheeks slightly red.

Ningning’s bliss didn’t stayed for long because when the clock struck 7 PM, Giselle hurriedly bid her goodbye like some sort of a fairytale princess about to run off with some rich, charming prince. Ningning frowns, touches her left cheek, the one Giselle slapped softly, relishing the feeling.

Giselle’s lavender perfume swirls strongly in the air, leaving Ningning in a state of intoxication.

So that night, under the dim lights of her night lamp, Ningning began writing a letter.

A neatly hand written letter that will be crumpled the next time she meets Giselle.

It was after their school play.

Ningning had given it all. Studying during the day and attending rehearsals after classes. Not to mention her nightly vocalization as she skims through her algebra notes. Giselle didn’t attend their sessions that weekend again, but she called to inform her that she will be attending the play.

It isn’t much but it made Ningning float on air, smiling dreamily on her bed, phone clutched tightly on her chest. Excitement and fear dawning on her when she finally realized that Giselle’s _actually_ coming.

She just didn’t mention she’d be coming with someone too.

“Ning!” Giselle walks towards her, “you did so well! My Ningning deserves an Oscar,” pulling her into a hug.

“Thank you!” Ningning chuckles, hiding the letter behind her back, “I really appreciate you coming, unnie.”

Ningning’s voice is too normal, almost fabricated. Stable when she’s anything but.

“Sorry if we’re a bit late, it’s just someone took so long choosing a gift for you,” Giselle laughs and looks at the other girl, “by the way, Karina, this is Ning. Ning, this is Karina.”

Karina grins, _beautiful,_ Ningning thinks, as she wallows further deep into insecurities.

“Hi, Ning,” she offers her hand and Ningning took it, “Giselle here told me you are her best student.”

Ningning shook her head, swallowed the lump on her throat, “I am her only student.”

The two laughs and Giselle hands her a paper bag, it smells like the sandwich she loves, “By the way, this is my gift.”

Ningning took it, muttered her thanks quietly. She lets go of the crumpled love letter, discreetly stepping on it, because she knows— “Are you two…” Ningning looks around, searching for a familiar face to distract herself from the heavy constriction on her chest, “…together?”

Karina laughs with head thrown back and eye smile so stunning, it was a view. Ningning wouldn’t blame Giselle if she fell for that. Karina bumps Giselle’s shoulder in a lighthearted manner, “Are we?”

Giselle chuckles, took Karina’s hand into hers with a pout, “Baby…”

Ningning smiles, steps back a little, “Huh… oh, okay. Uhm, I’m—” Ningning didn’t finish her sentence, instead she ran back to the girl’s bathroom, sobbing like a kid.

_So this is what it feels like?_

Her hopes fed up like a balloon now exploded, shattered parts all over.

There’s a knock on the door, and Ningning immediately composed herself, but when she saw who it was, she cries again, louder—like she has nothing to hide, all bared and not embarrassed.

“Winter!” She jumps on Winter, hands automatically embracing her best friend’s neck.

Winter hums, pats her back in an endearing manner, but she didn’t say anything. They both stood there for a good five minutes unti Ningning could finally collect herself, pulling away from the hug.

“Are you okay?” Winter whispers on her head. They are now sat on the floor as Ningning leans on her best friend’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” she murmurs.

“Don’t lie,” Winter chuckles.

“I will be,” Ningning opens her hand, and Winter took the opportunity to intertwine their hands together.

“She’s not the only girl in the world, you know that right?” Winter explains, and Ningning’s surprised that her best friend went passed her usual word count.

Ningning yawns, “I know that.”

“You’ll find someone,” Winter massages Ningning’s knuckles with her finger, “someone you can watch horror movies with. Someone who’ll tolerate your endless whining, ride on roller coasters with you. Someone who’s always there.”

“Yeah, that sounds too perfect.” Ningning laughs, “but see, you’re the only person who can tolerate my tantrums.”

Winter sucks on her breath, as she lets an awkward laugh, “Then maybe _I am_ that someone.”

Ningning chuckles, elbowed Winter softly on her stomach, “Nah, you’re not that _someone_. You’re my best friend.”

Winter smiled bitterly, her voice cracking a little, “Right."

**Author's Note:**

> self indulgent ningselle bcs when i searched for them, i only saw one fic oml


End file.
